I apologize that I have been away for far too long. My laptop has broken down and has taken the last six chapters that I have written for you all with it. I'm going to have to wing it from now on considering how the new laptop I am on is not mine. There has been a few people who have given me ideas and I would like to add them to this story. I have also improved in my writing skills or I would like to think. However, I will let you, my readers, decide on that.

You guys ready for this?

Chapter 12 – Justin Russo

Justin Russo was perfect above the surface to everyone who knew him and flawless beyond compare because who didn't think the handsome boy with brains was perfect? He had a smile for everyone that walked by as though he didn't have one single problem in this world or his. No one would ever wonder if this boy had demons in his head or skeletons in his closet because his permanent record was spotless like a newly polished whistle. Who could ever think that this boy with the brightest smile could have a heart as cold as winter? When people praised his parents for raising such an outstanding young man, those people never noticed the nervousness in their voices or the fear in their eyes that they would only show behind closed doors because only they can hear the dark tone in their son's beautiful, charming voice. When Max's friends would say how "cool" his older brother was, Max would simply stay quiet and quickly change the subject as though a conversation about Justin was forbidden in this world. In some ways, it was forbidden in his world. Max decided long ago to never speak a syllable to his older brother because a fly would never simply pass by a gigantic spider just to say, "Hello," right? Max was not fond of suicide.

Justin Russo was perfect... On the outside.

Then there was Alex Russo. Justin's younger and only sister who is three years his junior and as beautiful as a sunrise you had witnessed on the tallest cliff on a mountain by the ocean. If you talked or asked her about her perfect, older brother then she would talk about him as though he's never gripped her arms with his rough hands because he nearly lost control. She'd smile her vibrant smile as though he doesn't look at her through cold eyes every time her eyes meet his. She would bring up a memory about them when they were younger and their little adventures as though they were still having those little adventures now that they're older. However, no one has ever watched her walk away after their pleasant conversation about her perfect, older brother because you'd think she was walking away with a chuckle as she thought of her brother.

Wrong.

Alex Russo's smile would disappear as fast as the conversation had ended. Her mind would flash images of a perfect, older brother putting strong hands on his not so perfect, younger sister either roughly pulling her close or roughly pushing her away like she was either his savior or his nightmare. She'd think of the most brilliant grey eyes with dark shadows behind them and the softest lips formed into a mischievous smirk with nothing, but interior motives behind it. Thoughts of a perfect, older brother digging his perfectly sharpened nails into a 14-year-old girl who also happens to be his not so perfect, younger sister and asserting his dominance along with his claim. Alex's perfect, older brother caressing his not so perfect, younger sister because the fear in her eyes brings out the excitement in his. Alex Russo wouldn't entirely know what to say in Justin Russo's presence, afraid to say the wrong thing. He was like a ticking bomb you would have to tiptoe around. Alex did not know if she could handle another violent confrontation from her oh so fucking perfect, older brother.

Yes, she smiles when everyone's looking.

But, trembles when he walks by.

Anyone would think that this young man had dreams of beautiful floral fields, happy ending stories, and would think that he wakes up with a relaxed smile from the best sleep every morning because the way he talks and acts, it would seem so. No one ever wonders because his never ending smile chases away the never ending questions. He was perfect after all.

However, no one has seen him glare daggers at his ceiling or toss and turns in his bed from dreams he wishes would just go away because even Justin Russo can't find sleep in the dead of night sometimes. Even Justin OhSoFuckingPerfect Russo has nightmares that makes him break nearly everything breakable in his room at 3:24 in the morning because frustration eats at him like it does with everyone else. He bleeds red, too.

Rarely, he'll get a decent dream.

A dream where demons don't exist and happy endings do.

Most of the time, they consist of his younger sister with her happy, dark brown eyes and her shiny, black, long hair. He'll notice how perfect she looks under a bright sun and hate how she gets out of his reach every time he takes a step towards her. She's 14-years-old and smiling his way like the way she used to when she was 8-years-old and he's aware that he's describing his younger sister in sonnets. By the end of his wonderful dream, he'll wake up hating the world and her because how dare she invade him like that? How dare she bring him into bliss just to wake him up into hell? Later on that day, he'll look her over, assertive and in control, and make his dominance known.

She will never control him again.

Recently, Justin has been dreaming too often of not dreams and not nightmares. Not dreams of Alex, not dreams of himself, not nightmares of Alex, or not nightmares of himself. If he ever said anything about himself, personally, to anyone he'd describe them as realistic. The walls and air around him would feel cold and the things he'd touch would feel solid. Alex looked so real that he was scared to reach for her, to feel her. He was afraid that it was just another wonderful dream where she'll just keep getting farther and farther away as he tried to get closer to her.

And these "not dreams, not nightmares" were a pain in the ass.

He's exhausted and it's the first time he has fallen asleep in class. He hopes he doesn't have dreams of chocolate, brown eyes staring into his with sympathy he's never known. He's hoping that she doesn't come to him in the middle of the day.

She comes anyway as he hears, "Let the dreams begin."

The tone in her voice doesn't sound the sister he's come to know. Her voice is more confident and assertive. He doesn't have time to think about it though because he wakes up in an empty classroom that very much looks like the one he was recently in, but with very little light. There's giggling nearby as he looks around the classroom in search of it. Justin finds his sister in a dark corner behind him and even though she looks everything like his younger sister, she doesn't act like the one he's known all her life. She sends a playful smirk his way and says:

"I was wondering when you'd show up."

I'm sorry it's not much, but I'll write more very soon. Love you!